Amparo Bertram

06:44 am: Time to enjoy the roses
Work on the house is making steady progress. The yard in particular is really starting to take shape. My fall potatoes are doing well, with the runner beans behind them finally flowering, and the golden pineapple sage getting so bushy that I had to stake it up. The avocado tree went into the ground a few days ago, and I'm hoping it likes its new spot. My potted tomato has been a real trooper, producing a good amount despite poor conditions. This variety is an heirloom called Japanese Trifele Black, and it tastes extremely sweet.

Yesterday, my dad worked together with a helpful neighbor to put up a pergola. That's going to be where someone can sit and enjoy the Japanese garden that I will plant around it.

Inside the house, the insulation has finally been blown in, which is one major project done. Next up is smoothing and painting the walls.

I think that it's currently in a pepper grow bag, though I'd have to check to be sure. The cage is a flimsy 4-foot one from the garden center, and at this point the tomato plant is so top heavy that I have to prop it up by surrounding it with other pots to stop it from falling over.

It really should have had more soil than I gave it, but I didn't have much on hand at the time. (I only filled the bag about halfway.) I also should have put it in a slightly larger bag, but I didn't realize how big it would get. (It's about five feet tall right now, and it probably would have done even better with more suitable growing conditions.)

Judging by the amount of large wood behind the pergola pic, the tree has also been taken down?

Yes, they finally came and cut it down last week. I'm going to have to get some kind of tarp to protect all the wood from the rain. I'm currently using all the wood chips from the root to mulch the pathways between the garden beds.